(Posted April 14, 2014)

Joseph Scialabba, director of major gifts, effective May 1.
Joseph Scialabba, director of major gifts, effective May 1.

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Joseph Scialabba, who can trace his connection with Juniata College from being a ball boy for the football team to working as sports information director to even coaching the women's basketball team for a few games, will return to Juniata as its director of major gifts, effective May 1.

Scialabba, a 1986 Juniata graduate and a lifelong Huntingdon resident, will oversee the college's major and planned giving programs while supervising the traveling development staff.

"Joe Scialabba may have more institutional knowledge from his many years working here and remaining active on campus than anyone currently at Juniata, so we feel fortunate in having Joe return to the fold to help sustain the campus that sustained him," says James A. Troha, president of Juniata.

Scialabba comes to Juniata from Penn State University, where he was director of major gifts at the Smeal College of Business from 2011 to April 2014. He was part of a team that raised more than $19 million as part of the university's "For the Future" campaign.

"I am truly humbled by the opportunity to return to Juniata at such an exciting and important time for the institution," Scialabba says. "I look forward to reconnecting with many alumni and friends that I've gotten to know through the years and I'm especially pleased that I will have more of a chance to be introduced to an even wider circle of Juniatians in my new role."

"I look forward to reconnecting with many alumni and friends that I've gotten to know through the years and I'm especially pleased that I will have more of a chance to be introduced to an even wider circle of Juniatians in my new role."

Joe Scialabba

As a professional fundraiser, Scialabba has almost 20 years experience in higher education and nonprofit development. He served as vice president for institutional advancement at Mount Aloysius College from 2008 to 2010, where he managed a professional staff of eight and helped develop a college marketing plan.

Before returning to higher education, Scialbba spent a decade as director of development for the Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown from 1998 to 2008. He raised more than $2 million annually for the diocese and also served as executive director of the diocese's public charitable foundation.

Aside from his experience as a ball boy, Scialabba started his career at Juniata as a student worker in the college's sports information office. After graduation he was hired as an enrollment counselor in 1986 and became sports information director in 1987. In 1995 he left the sports information office to start his fundraising career as annual giving manager and director of the J-Club. He was named director of annual giving and athletics development in 1996.

Although his career has taken him away from Juniata at times, he has remained active on campus. He helped establish the Juniata College Sports Hall of Fame and continues to serve on its oversight committee. He was interim head women's basketball coach in 1997 and was assistant men's basketball coach from 1985 to 1991. He also served as Juniata's golf coach from 1989 to 1994.

He earned a bachelor's degree in communications and English in 1986 and went on to earn a master's degree in nonprofit management in 2003 from Regis University in Denver, Colo.

He is an active community member and currently serves as a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association certified basketball and football official. He serves on the stewardship committee for the St. James Lutheran Church and has been on the Huntingdon Community Center advancement committee since 2013.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.